New Testament in a Year
Healing on the Sabbath
14 On a Sabbath day, when Jesus went to eat at the home of a leading Pharisee, ·the people [L they; C probably religious leaders] were watching Jesus very closely. 2 And [L Look; T Behold] in front of him was a man with ·dropsy [C swelling caused by bodily fluids; also called edema]. 3 Jesus said to the Pharisees and experts on the law, “Is it ·right or wrong [permitted; lawful] to heal on the Sabbath day?” 4 But they ·would not answer his question [L kept silent]. So Jesus ·took [touched; took hold of] the man, healed him, and sent him away. 5 Jesus said to ·the Pharisees and teachers of the law [L them], “If your child[a] or ox falls into a ·well [or pit] on the Sabbath day, will you not pull him out ·quickly [immediately; right away; Ex. 21:33–34]?” 6 And they could not answer him.
Don’t Make Yourself Important
7 When Jesus noticed that some of the guests were choosing the ·best places [places of honor] to sit [C seats were assigned according to social status], he told this ·story [parable]: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, don’t take the ·most important seat [place of honor], because someone more ·important [distinguished; honorable] than you may have been invited. 9 The host, who invited both of you, will come to you and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be ·embarrassed [humiliated; disgraced; shamed] and will have to move to the ·last [least; lowest] place. 10 ·So [L But] when you are invited, go ·sit in a seat that is not important [L recline in the last/lowest place; 7:36]. When the host comes to you, he may say, ‘Friend, move up here to a ·more important [better; higher] place.’ Then ·all the other guests will respect you [L you will be honored in the presence of all the guests]. 11 [L For; Because] All who ·make themselves great [exalt themselves] will be made humble, but those who make themselves humble will be ·made great [exalted].”
You Will Be Rewarded
12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite only your friends, your ·family [near relatives; L brothers; siblings], your other relatives, and your rich neighbors. At another time they will invite you to eat with them, and ·you will be repaid [or that will be your only payment]. 13 Instead, when you give a ·feast [banquet], invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed, because they have nothing and cannot pay you back [C something given was typically repaid with goods, favors, or honor]. ·But [For] you will be repaid ·when the good people rise from the dead [L at the resurrection of the righteous].”
A Story About a Big Banquet(A)
15 One of those ·at the table [L reclining; see 5:29] with Jesus heard these things and said to him, “·Blessed [Happy] are the people who will ·share in the meal [L eat bread] in God’s kingdom [C an allusion to the messianic banquet at the end of time; see 13:29; Is. 25:6–8].”
16 Jesus said to him, “A man gave a ·big [great] banquet and invited many people. 17 When it was time to eat, the man sent his ·servant [slave] to tell the guests [C who had accepted the invitation], ‘Come. Everything is ready.’
18 “But all the guests [one after another; or in a similar manner] began to make excuses [C a great offense in that culture]. The first one said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go look at it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five ·pairs [L yoke] of oxen; I must go and try them. Please excuse me.’ 20 A third person said, ‘I just got married; I can’t come [C while newly married men were exempt from certain duties (Deut. 24:5), that is not a valid excuse for offending the host].’ 21 So the ·servant [slave] returned and told his master what had happened. Then the master [L of the household] became angry and said, ‘Go at once into the ·streets [squares] and ·alleys [lanes] of the town, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 ·Later [L And] the ·servant [slave] said to him, ‘Master, I did what you commanded, but we still have room.’ 23 The master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the roads and ·country lanes [hedgerows], and ·urge [compel] the people there to come so my house will be full [C those outside the city may refer to the Gentiles, who will come into the kingdom (see Acts 10—11)]. 24 [L For] I tell you, none of ·those [L those men; C referring to the three who refused] whom I invited first will ·eat with me [L taste my banquet/dinner].’”
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